GENERAL32470

• Permit No: C1982055
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 9/15/1994
• Doc Name: TOPSOIL SUBSTITUTE SUITABILITY REPORT RATON CREEK MINES
• Permit Index Doc Type: SOILS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

~'-

3.0 DISCUSSION OF ANALYTICAL RESULTS

3.1 Historical Semoling Programs
i
`~ 3.1.1 SCS Sampling Programs I Through V
.~
?.Li
As noted in Section 3.0, soil laboratory analyses conducted on endemic soil samples collected by
the SCS during sampling programs 1 through 5 (Neve 1982a, 1982b, 1982c, 1983) were completed to
assess soil quality and to develop future fertilizer requirements. The suite of parameters for which the
~~ samples were analyzed was somewhat limited. The results of these analyses are summarized for all Tive
[y; sampling programs in Table 2 below.
TABLE 2
SUMMARY OF LABORATORY ANALYSES-SAMPLING PROGRAMS I THROUGH V
,s~ (16 Samples, Excluding One Coal Sample)
Parameter Values Parameter Values
l pH 6.4-8.1 NOg-N (ppm) 1.0-6.0
Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm) 0.2-2.3 P (ppm) 1.0-2.0
~~ Percent organic matter 0.5-3.0 K (ppm) 88.0-248.0

<a
~ Lime estimate

t
T Low-high

Cl
l
l Zn (ppm)

M 0.2-1.1

0
2
8
5
ex
ure oam
ay~
ay n (ppm) .
-
.
Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) 0.3-5.0 Cu (ppm) 1.0-4.0
;,,, Fe (ppm) 4.8-23.0
The results of these chemical and physical analyses indicate that, with the exception of the clay
~^` textures, all materials sampled were acceptable as compared to topsoil substitute suitability criteria
~ (Schafer 1979, Sutton et al. 1981, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality 1989). Additional soil
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textural data was collected in the field in association with pedon description work during sampling
~ programs I through V . Of the 79 horizons for which textures were recorded, 37 horizons were classed
Fr;
f;J~ (excluding coarse fragment modifiers) as having a clay texture. Three horizons had silty clay textures while
five horizons were classed as sandy clays. Of the remaining 34 horizons, the majority were clay loams and
sandy clay loams. Given that the clay horizons were typically the thicker subsurface horizons, the majority
of soils sampled, in volumetric terms, consist of clay-textured materials.
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